Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
This invention relates generally to a device for increasing female sexual stimulation and, more specifically, to a device which provides suction on the female clitoris, thereby causing vascular engorgement and enhancing sexual satisfaction.
Clitoral vascular engorgement plays an important role in female sexual arousal and overall sexual satisfaction. Sexual arousal results in smooth muscle relaxation and arterial vasodilation within the clitoris. The resultant increase in blood flow leads to tumescence of the glans clitoris and increased sexual arousal. A variety of diseases, such as arteriosclerosis and diabetes, may cause clitoral erectile insufficiency and reduced clitoral arterial flow. This, in turn, may lead to difficulty or inability to achieve clitoral tumescence, especially in women who suffer from Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD). FSAD may be expressed as a lack of either subjective excitement, genital lubrication or orgasmic function.
A variety of devices have been developed for stimulating female sexual response. The most common devices are vibrators and mechanical dildos which create friction against the clitoris. A more effective method of increasing clitoral engorgement, especially in women suffering from FSAD, is through use of suction. A partial vacuum placed over the clitoris creates negative pressure in the organ that is lower than the systolic blood pressure. This, in turn, promotes clitoral arterial inflow, resulting in increased vascular engorgement and sexual arousal. This effect is particularly pronounced in women with FSAD.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,473 issued to Taylor describes suction cups placed on the nipples and the upper portion of the vulva of the user. The suction cups are connected to a remotely located vacuum bulb through an elaborate array of tubes. Compression of the externally located bulb introduces a vacuum in the suction cups. The device, however, may be cumbersome to wear and does not appear to provide a focused vacuum to the clitoris.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,002 issued to Tucker describes a penile ring with an attached suction cup and vibratory motor. During coitus, the suction cup presses against the vaginal area of the wearer""s partner. Given the rough motion of coitus, any suction achieved with the device is likely to be unfocused, brief and intermittent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,463 issued to Hockhalter describes a tubular suction chamber sized to fit over the clitoris and connected through tubing to an externally located, variable partial vacuum source such as the mouth of the user, a vacuum bulb or a mechanical pump. The force of the suction may be controlled by a check valve which is also used to release the partial vacuum. International Publication No. WO/28939 by Hovland describes a similar device to Hockhalter, utilizing a clitoral suction applicator connected to an externally located, hand-held, electronic pump. Both of these devices require the use of an external vacuum source connected via tubing to the suction chamber. The multi-component aspect of these devices makes them cumbersome to use, requiring the user to hold the device in place while the vacuum is applied.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,755,236 and 5,908,379 issued to Dann, et al. and to Schaefer, et al., respectively, both describe a vacuum producing, partially deformable device of unitary construction having a distal tip portion, a flange and intermediate frustoconical side walls which, when placed over the urinary meatus of the user, prevents urinary incontinence. Upon compression and release, the device described by Schaefer et al. causes collapse of the intermediate frustoconical side walls and drawing of the urinary meatus into the narrower tip portion. The meatus is compressed within the tip portion, thereby preventing urinary leakage from stress urinary incontinence. In practice, however, the device can cause pinching of urinary meatal tissue with discomfort and potential tissue injury. In the device described by Dann et al., the length of the intermediate frustoconical side walls is selected so as to increase the effective distance from the tip portion to the meatus, thereby minimizing entrapment of tissue in the tip portion and relying on gentler compression by the intermediate side walls. Both of these devices rely on inward deformation of the intermediate side walls in order to create urinary meatal compression and obstruction and to thereby prevent stress urinary incontinence.
In accordance with the invention, a device for stimulating the clitoris of a female includes a resilient and at least partially deformable device body having an enclosed tip portion, a flange, and an intermediate side wall portion extending outwardly from the tip portion to the flange. The device body is sized to encompass the clitoris of the user and, in one illustrative embodiment, the device body is of unitary construction. In use, the device body is placed over the clitoris of the user and the tip portion is deformed, causing a vacuum environment to be formed in an interior chamber formed by the device body. The vacuum environment maintains the device in reliable sealed engagement around the clitoris.
With this arrangement, a small, simple, and effective female clitoral stimulation device provides suction to the clitoris thereby stimulating vascular engorgement and sexual arousal. Advantageously, the device does not require an external vacuum source or associated tubing or connections and is simple to use, permitting the user to perform her daily activities while wearing it in an undetectable and discreet fashion.
The intermediate side wall portion is substantially non-deformable in response to deformation of the tip portion. One such illustrative side wall portion has an outwardly convex shape. With this arrangement, a substantially fixed volume lower vacuum chamber is formed over the clitoris so as to prevent side wall abutment and associated tissue compression or injury. To further reinforce the structure of the lower vacuum chamber so as to resist deformation, internal and/or external protuberances may be provided on the outwardly convex intermediate side walls.
A bio-compatible lubricant or adhesive may be applied to the flange in order to enhance the vacuum seal. The labia of the vagina cover the device, further securing it in place and permitting it to be worn in a discreet fashion during daily activities.
The device may be provided with a pharmacologically active material, such as vasoactive agents, substances, medications or herbs, which, in use, comes into continuous contact with the clitoris of the user, so as to further increase clitoral blood flow and sexual arousal. In one embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is disposed on the flange. In another embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is disposed within the device body and is released to contact the clitoris in response to deformation of the tip portion. In yet another embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is embedded in a wall of the device. Also described are various shapes for features of the device, which shapes vary the precision of the anatomical fit over the clitoris.
A method for increasing female sexual stimulation includes placing on the clitoris of the user a device body having a tip portion, a flange, and an intermediate side wall portion extending outwardly from the tip portion to the flange so that the device body encompasses the clitoris. The method further includes deforming the tip portion so as to create a vacuum chamber within the device body. Preferably, the intermediate side wall portion is substantially non-deformable in response to deformation of the tip portion. In one embodiment, this advantage is achieved by providing the intermediate wall portions with an outwardly convex shape. With this arrangement, a vacuum chamber is formed over the clitoris of the user in a simple manner that prevents pinching or compression of the clitoris.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a drug delivery method includes providing the device body with a pharmacologically active material to contact the clitoris of the user in use. In one embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is provided in the device body so as to contact the clitoris of the user in response to deformation of the tip portion and, in another embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is provided on the flange so as to contact the clitoris of the user in use. In yet another embodiment, the pharmacologically active material is embedded in a wall of the device and is released upon contact with the vaginal mucosa. Examples of suitable pharmacologically active materials include vasoactive agents, substances, medications or herbs.